Australia nearly threw it away in Sydney, but held their nerve to beat New Zealand by two wickets with seven balls to spare.
Australia's women made hard work of it on Sunday night, but they got over the line. They beat New Zealand by two wickets in the opening T20 International at North Sydney Oval, and the reigning T20 World Cup champions had to survive a wobble to do it.
New Zealand set the target, finishing on 162-2 and leaving Australia with a chase that looked manageable on paper. Australia reached 165-8 with seven balls left, but the scoreboard hides how uncomfortable the middle of that innings became.
A mid-order collapse turned a routine run chase into a nail-biter and gave the visitors real hope. Australia's lower order had to steady things under pressure. No 10 Kim Garth faced eight balls without scoring, then found the boundary to seal the win.
The result gives Australia a 1-0 lead in the three-match Rose Bowl series. The teams meet again at North Sydney Oval on Tuesday and Thursday, and Australia will want a cleaner performance to avoid another close finish.
